The government on Friday quelled reports that work on multibillion-dollar strategic China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative has been facing delays, reports Tribune.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said the country’s security threat level is currently elevated due to developments on CPEC and the situation in Afghanistan.
Umar, along with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CPEC Affairs Khalid Mansoor, addressed a hurriedly-called news conference to clear smoke after proceedings of a Senate committee implied that the country was not interested in taking forward CPEC.
“Security threat is elevated than before and the reasons are CPEC development and the situation in Afghanistan,” said Umar, while responding to a question. The minister added that Prime Minister Imran Khan was keeping an eye on the developing security situation.
Responding to another question, the minister said that the much-delayed meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of CPEC would be held “very soon”.
Earlier on Thursday, Mansoor had said that the Chinese embassy had conveyed “September 23 and 24 as the dates for holding the 10th meeting of JCC”.
